Manipur Women Take Out Torch Rally In Imphal, Call For Special Assembly Session

The Manipur cabinet last week recommended Governor Anusuiya Uikey to convene a session of the assembly from August 21.

Hundreds of women took out torch rallies across the Imphal valley on Wednesday and called for a special session of the Manipur Assembly to be held before the monsoon session of Parliament culminates. The rallies were taken out at around 9:30 pm in Keisampat, Keisamthong and Kwakeithel regions in the Imphal West district and also in Wangkhei and Kongba in the Imphal East district. One of the participants of the rally, Ingudam Babita while talking to PTI said, "In the assembly session, the government should pass a resolution to protect the state's territorial integrity and send it to Parliament while it is still in session."

During the rally, the women also raised slogans against the demand for separate administration by Kuki groups, and for the implementation of NRC in order to identify 'illegal' immigrants who are residing in the state and then deport them, PTI reported.

The Manipur cabinet recommended Governor Anusuiya Uikey last week to convene a session of the assembly from August 21. The previous session was held in March prior to the violence which broke out in May.

Earlier on Saturday, the Meitei apex group - Coordinating Committee of 27 Assembly constituencies in Manipur, called for a 24-hour general strike and demanded a special session of the assembly. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of several Imphal-based civil society organisations, on August 6 announced a 'boycott of the state government' for its alleged failure in holding an emergency session of the assembly. The boycott was also based on the alleged inept handling of the ongoing violence in the state which has led to the death of over 160 people so far, reported PTI.